Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Monika Poettinger
Author-Email:
Author-Workplace-Name: Università ‘Bocconi’, Milano - Dipartimento di Analisi delle Politiche e Management Pubblico
Title: Federico Caffè e la diffusione del pensiero economico
(Federico Caffè and the diffusion of economic thought)
Abstract: Federico Caffè (1914-1987) was a renowned Italian economist particularly dedicated to political economy.
He also acted as an extraordinary agent of diffusion of economic thought through a relentless
publishing activity. Caffè’s diffusing effort was motivated by his personal historicism and his philosophy
of history. His effort proceeded over three channels: academia, trade unions and newspapers. He
registered his main success in teaching. An entire generation of economists absorbed his lesson of
eclecticism transferring it in their own activities and workplaces. Among the economic actors of big
business, big labour and big government, instead, Caffè could only testimony the permanence of old
ideas. His articles, published by independent newspapers over decades, had a wider audience and appreciation,
but his preaching remained unheeded. He nonetheless believed that his writings would be
part of future historiography, pointing at those possible civilizations that, ignored at present, could
become reality in future
Classification-JEL: B20, B31, B41, D60, E12
Keywords: xx secolo; pensiero economico italiano; Federico Caffè; economia del benessere; J. M. Keynes
(xx century; Italian Economic Thought; Federico Caffè; Welfare Economics; J. M. Keynes)
Journal: Il Pensiero Economico Italiano
Pages: 61-84
Volume: 23
Issue: 2
Year: 2015
File-URL: http://www.libraweb.net/articoli.php?chiave=201506302&rivista=63
Handle: RePEc:pei:journl:v:23:y:2015:2:5:p:61-84